Access to Bloomberg Law, Lexis, and Westlaw Over the Summer & After Graduation

It’s easier than ever now to conduct legal research over the summer, and even for some time after you graduate. Laid out below are the respective usage policies for the three main legal databases:

Bloomberg Law:

Returning students have unrestricted access over the summer.

Graduating students will continue to have unrestricted access for 6 months after graduation.

If you haven’t already signed up for Bloomberg Law, there’s information on how to do so here.

Lexis Advance:

Returning students have unrestricted access over the summer.

Graduating students will have unrestricted access through July 31st. You can also apply online for a special Lexis Advance ID (which you would receive in July) to gain access through Dec. 31, 2013; the new ID is for educational, bar exam preparation, and job search purposes only (and non-profit employment through the ASPIRE program).

If you’re already a registered Lexis Advance user, you are set. If you do not have a Lexis Advance account, or can’t remember for sure, contact Tarlton’s account representative, Jaclyn Olivas, at jaclyn.olivas@lexisnexis.com.

Westlaw:

Returning students: Permitted summer use is for academic work only, such as projects for professors, moot court, summer classes, law review/journal work, or unpaid externships/pro bono work done for course credit. Accounts will default to 40 hours of access in June and 40 hours in July. If students need more than that they will have to click through the summer extension link off of lawschool.westlaw.com.

Graduating students get 5 hours of access in June and 5 hours in July to assist with studying for the bar. Graduating students who extend their passwords will receive 60 hours of access per month through November 2013. This extension may be done any time prior to November 2013. (Graduating students who have already extended their access don’t have to do anything further.) Students may click the “Need Westlaw this Summer?” ad on lawschool.westlaw.com.